ARROW BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Lake County Press, Issue 2634, 1 June 1916, Page 4

ARROW BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Arrow Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr 11. McKibbin),

Ore Adams, Jenkins, Jopp, Stevenson, and Tobin. Correspondence. — Mr Wesley Turton, borough solioitor, wrote stating that the question of the coporation water-rights and title was being attended to, but the investigation would take some time.—Received. The Seoretary, Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid" Board, wrote stating that at its last meeting the Board decided to levy the different local authorities in its district on the basis of 2d in the pound on the annual value of all rateable property in the Board's district. The Arrow Borough Council's apportionment would be £7 18a Bd, payable in four quarterly instalments of £1 18s sd.—Received. The deputy-Commissioner of Crown Lands, Duuedin, wrote stating that at the meeting of the Ofcago Land Board on 18th April it was decided to cancel the grazing license which was granted on 18th October last to the Arrowtown Borough Council. David Mackie was granted a license from year to year over 2$ aores on the reserve. It was, therefore, decided to grant a license from year to year to the Arrow Borough over the remaining portion of the reserve, the area of which was about 16J acres. The rental was fixed at £1 per annum, and the first year's rent should be remitted at once.—Received. The Minister of Internal affairs wrote as follows:-"The Hon. W. Fraser has referred to me the resolution passed by the Borough Council ' suggesting the advisibility of converting the Arrow Hospital Buildings into a Convalescent Home for invalided soldiers. In reply, I beg to inform you that the hospital accommodation available through the Dominion is quite 1 sufficient to meet all demands. At < Rotorua in the North Island, and . Hamner in the South Island, large . oonvalescent homes have been estab- i lisbed for the purpose of accommodating siok and wounded soldiers on i being discharged from the ordinary i hospitals of the Dominion. Under the i circumstances, while thanking your - Council for its patriotio desire to assist the Government, I regret I cannot hold . out any prospect of the institution at Arrowtown being taken advantage of." i —Received. • —Recruiting.— < The Hon. James Allen, Minister of I Defense, wrote acknowledging receipt • of advice that a Recruiting Committee i bad been appointed by the Council. He hoped that good results would be | obtained.—Received. I The Hon. W. F. Massey, Chairman of the Recruiting Board, wrote under date 24th May, as follows : The difficulty which is being experienced by the local Defence authorities in certain portions of the Dominion in providing their I quota (particularly of infantry) for the t various reinforcement drafts, impels the Be- , crniting Board to again impress on your Council the very serious crisis through which thi'i Dominion, in common with the . rest of the Empire, is now passing, and how urgent is the need for combined action on t tfat part of every public man and citizen to seouw the recruits necessary to keep our Expeditionary Force at full strength. This * Dominion has pledged itself to send forward reinforcements at the rate of 2860 men t every four weeks, and the Board is confident - then need be no difficulty in fulfilling this obligation under the voluntary system if its proposals are given effect to. The Board 1 has ample evidence in support of its con- I Sdence, because wherever the new scheme has been put into operation a marked improvement in recruiting has resulted. But, unfortunately, this improvement is restric- ! ted to just those distriots where the local ] bodies and citizens have actively and sym- j pathetically co-operated to give the new scheme that full and fair trial by.which alone success can be achieved. There is no . season whatever why that improvement should not be general, and considering the < tremenduouß issues that are at stake, it is • surely not too much to ask the local bodies . of the Dominion to bestir themselves and do J their share of this all-important national • work. The scheme outlined by the Board ' has provided sufficient men for present and j future requirements wherever it has been , carried out, and will do so, in the 6pinion of , those local bodies who have tried it, in all districts. It is evident, from what has • already been reported to the Board, that there are many eligible men who have not , yet realised the seriousnrss of the call and who only need the personal appeal to make , them do so. Those who still refuse to come forward after this appeal will be compelled- J to do so under the powers contained in the . Military Service Bill which will be sub- j initted to Parliament. I would, however, , again repeat what has been publicly emphasised by members of the Recruiting Board almost daily throughout the Dominion, namely, that the porsonal canvass provided j under- the new scheme is an absolutely j necessary preliminary to any system of compulsion, because the authorities must have full particulars with respect (to every ' man of military age so that each may be classified according to his family obligations, < and aIBO so that the quotas which are allot- j ted to the several districts may be reviewed and adjusted according to the number of J recruits already sent from, and the number > of eligible men remaining in them. This is ' a work that must be done in any event, and the Board holds that it is essentially a duty ( that is cast on all citizens who are not . otherwise eligible for service. I would therefore impress on your Council the urgent necessity of at once organising committees in your district, and seeing that this work j9 done. The Mayor did not think anything more could be done. Councillors concurred, and the letter was received. —General.— The Mayor and Cr Jopp were authorised to sign the rate-book. The estimates for 1916-17, as submitted by the Clerk, were approved. The Mayor said the financial positbn of the Council was about the same as it was this time last year. A good deal of money had been spent during the year in gravelling and repairs to the Atheneum Hall. He thought, therefore, they could again carry on a Is Od rate. On the motion of Cr Stevenson, seconded by Cr Jenkins, it was decided to give notice of intention to strike a general rate of Is 9d in the £ on the annual value of all rateable property in the Borough ; also sanitary rate of 7s per annum. The usual resolution re Bank overdraft was passed. The Mayor said more seats and lamps were required for the Atheneum Hall. He proposed That twdlve forms and two lamps be procured. The motion was seconded by Cr Jopp and carried.

—Tenders. — The following tenders received for gravelling 25 chaius (more or less) Hospital road:—Thos. Johnston, £1 12s per chain ; C. Sloper, £1 17s per chain ; D. Mackie, £1 18s 5d per chain. On the motion of Cr Jopp, seconded by Cr Stevenson, Thos. Johnston'* tender was accepted. —Finance.— The following accounts wore passed for payment :—Salaries and wages, £2O 10s lOd; T Johnston (freight), £2 03 2d ; P. McSkimming and Sons (drain pipes), £1 6s 3d ; audit fees, £1 6s 8d ; L.C. Press £4 19s 2d. After payment of accounts the Bank overdraft will be £llß 14s 2d.